


Moving Forward

by JuliettKilo



Series: Moving Forward [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Polyamory, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26019304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliettKilo/pseuds/JuliettKilo
Summary: The losses and traumas of war left their marks on everyone. Although their experiences differ, Hermione Granger and George Weasley built a friendship from the after effects. Some days moving on is easy, and others it seems impossible. But as long as they keep moving forward, the easy days become more frequent.
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/George Weasley, George Weasley/Oliver Wood, Hermione Granger & George Weasley, Hermione Granger/Viktor Krum
Series: Moving Forward [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888516
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

“George, I’m back! Do be wearing clothes this time,” Hermione called out as she walked into the apartment with her hands over her eyes. 

“Don’t fret, Hermione my dear. Oliver went home an hour ago. How was the date with Viktor?” George looked up from his book to greet Hermione as she entered the room. 

“It was not a date, merely dinner with a friend,” she stated heatedly. George just raised an eyebrow at her in challenge. “Alright, dinner with a friend that may have ended with us naked in bed. Oh! Here are your tickets for the game this weekend. Are you taking Ang or Ollie?”

“Ang. Oliver has an away game at the same time. That’s why he didn’t stay the night. Come sit and tell me all about the not date while I make some tea.”

They quickly settled into a comfortable evening of catching up after a busy week before heading to bed. Hermione never would have imagined that George would end up as her best friend. When she first offered to help rebuild the shop after the war, she did it as an empathetic but casual friend. That changed the more time she spent at the shop and being present. His help and subsequent support dealing with the fall out of reestablishing her existence in her parents’ minds solidified their growing friendship. 

After they returned from Australia, Hermione moved in. Each broken but healing slowly from the war and losses, they connected on a deep level. It was a comfortable relationship during the day to day. But it proved its strength during the harder days. There was no judgement when one spent several days in bed, barely existing. Nor when the other fell into despair at random. Hermione and George supported each other through the highs and the lows with compassion and empathy. 

Most of their friends and family didn’t fully get how they worked so well together, but all who watched them interact knew they did. George’s lighthearted personality pulled Hermione out of her own head when she obsessed or allowed her anxiety to overtake her. And she provided a grounding force when George spiraled too deeply into his depression. They were strongest together, processing their traumas and moving forward.

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life moves forward and relationships develop.

The stadium was loud and overcrowded. Separated from the masses in the family box, Hermione was once again thankful for her friendship with Viktor. She was surprised by the size of the crowd for a scrimmage match. Granted, the match was between the Irish and Bulgarian national quidditch teams. They hadn’t faced off since the World Cup the summer before Hermione’s fourth year, which was ages ago. With the next World Cup a year out, the fans were excited to see how their favorite team fairs. 

Looking to her left, Hermione saw George gesturing wildly to Angelina. She assumed it was a dramatic retelling of something that happened at the joke shop this week based on Ang’s hearty laugh. They were good together, Angelina and George. Ang brought out the mischievous side of George that was subdued after the war. And when George became too worked up with excitement or despair, she grounded him. It was different from how Hermione and George grounded each other, but good all the same. 

Oliver brought other facets of George’s lost spark, primarily passion and enthusiasm. George was getting through each day and keeping the shop operational, but he hadn’t invented anything new until Oli started coming around. Hermione was surprised by how well suited Oliver was to her friend. She didn’t know him well when they were at Hogwarts together. But it seemed he was just the sort of person George needed. Lively conversations about quidditch led to passionate debates about magical theory and explosive snogging sessions.

Between his two partners, George was slowly becoming more of the man he was before he lost his twin. The sadness and sense of loss was still there, but it was no longer his predominant mental state. Each time Hermione observed him with either Ang or Oli she had to quell her desire to cheer out. The past few years held more sad days than not and seeing George truly happy again made her heart sing. 

Hermione was knocked out of her reverie by a loud cheer from the crowd. The match was finished quicker than she expected. She moved to stand with Angelina and George while they waited for the team to come up from the locker room. Viktor had invited the group to post match drinks with the team. As much as she would have preferred a quiet dinner, her friends couldn’t wait to hang out with a bunch of professional quidditch players and hear their stories. 

* * *

Throughout the evening George kept an eye on his roommate and her interactions with a certain seeker she most certainly wasn’t dating. Between the trauma of the war, years of taunting by peers, and sense of abandonment by her parents, Hermione had closed herself off from building relationships beyond her immediate circle. Viktor was a good friend, but she held him at an arm's length, too afraid to risk rejection. George could sympathize with her reservations even if he knew her fears were for naught. With how frequently the pair ended up shagging, he didn’t know how Hermione couldn’t accept that Viktor wasn’t going to walk away. 

Viktor looked at Hermione with focused affection. When they were together he tended to direct all his attention to his friend. Both of them smiled more openly as they get caught up in academic debates on whatever periodical they recently owled each other about. Even with countries between them, the duo kept up regular correspondence. If work took either of them closer to the other’s home, they would meet up over dinner every chance they got. 

George wondered how endless Viktor’s patience would prove to be. He knew that eventually Hermione would open her heart up and see what is right in front of her. She just needed a bit more time to heal. They all did really, but everyone copes differently. George thrived with the care and support that Hermione and his two partners brought to his life. Hermione did better working through her emotions in her head and overthinking every situation until she felt comfortable that she could respond to any outcome. Those she wasn’t ready to face, she suppressed to a corner of her mind until she had the capacity. She was getting better, but wasn’t quite to the point where she would risk opening herself up to more heartache.

One step forward and two steps back, the grief and healing processes was like a spiral with varying sized loops. 


	3. Chapter 3

The Burrow was boisterous, overflowing with family and friends for another Weasley Sunday Dinner. Despite having known everyone for years, Hermione was always surprised by just how many people fell in her social circle when she saw them all together. Bill and Fleur were helping Molly set the tables out back, while Percy and Arthur were chatting with a few Order members from the Ministry. Oliver and Angelina were organizing a round of quidditch for after dinner. Harry and Ron could be seen trying to relocate the garden gnomes while GInny and Luna danced around them to the radio. Everyone seemed content.

Hermione wrapped her arms around George’s torso as he tried to blink away the tears that were forming. The grief was lessening to the point where it didn’t weigh him down every day. But sometimes he was overwhelmed by the bittersweet moments. It was great watching everyone together, sharing and living life, but it also reminded the duo of those that were missing. 

“Some days I look around and think of how much Fred would have loved this,” George murmured to Hermione.

Hermione snorted. “Indeed he would, but he’d also be badgering you about missed opportunities,” she said with a mischievous look over to the antics occurring by the garden gnomes.

George sat up a bit straighter and replied, “we can’t have that now can we?” And he started whispering potential pranks to Hermione as they edged closer to their prey. 

* * *

It was just as they sat down for dinner that Viktor arrived, having been held up at work. Sliding into the chair by Hermione, he grabbed her hand under the table. They’d been officially together for a couple months now, but George could see the weight Hermione carried around on her shoulders lighten whenever Viktor was around. They were good together.

Each time Molly hinted to Hermione about weddings and future planning, Hermione’s smile would falter. It was painful to consider major life events while still estranged from her parents. No matter how much time had passed, their relationship had not improved any. George would redirect Molly’s attention to him and his two partners with jokes about their rejection of his offers for elopement that he was pretty sure he owled them the other day, or perhaps those were just dungbombs. George smirked and insisted he couldn’t recall. Hermione was thankful for the redirect and laughed along with the rest of the table. And a squeeze to her hand by Viktor reminded her to ease the tension in her jaw. 

Later that night while cuddled on the couch, Hermione reflected. The moments of grief for herself and her best friend were happening less frequently. During every family function she would see glimmers of sadness in people’s eyes. But it was becoming less heady. The pain of loss was still there for everyone, yet hope for the future and enjoyment of the present were becoming more predominant. Hermione knew the emotional pain would never fully go away, but it was receding at a consistent pace to a point where it wasn’t the top emotion of each day. The present was finally looking bright. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:Today is the one year anniversary of losing a family member way too soon in life. Writing helps me process through all the emotions. Thanks for reading with me.

Walking Hermione down the aisle, watching Angelina hold their baby for the first time, dropping the kids off at the platform to head to Hogwarts after their eleventh birthday, all these big moments were surrounded by family. And each was tinged with moments of sadness. With each passing year, the weight in George’s chest lessened. Many days even went by without thinking about the losses. There were still the hard days. Major events were easier to pick out and prepare for mentally. It was the casual mentions or remembered conversations that would blindside him. 

During those bad times, George would take a deep breath and sit in his feelings. Sure it had been years, but grief doesn't follow any particular timeline. It has its peaks and valleys. His partners were always there to empathize and support him through the hard moments along with the good. And when George needed more than empathy, he’d call on Hermione. Hermione was always there as soon as she was able, as he was for her. 

Once when one of her kids was going through their second growth spurt in a few weeks, Hermione broke down. Being a new parent brings challenges. Doing so without one’s parent to guide them can be heartbreaking at times. When it’s a choice rather than a necessity, it’s a special sort of pain. It was one of those moments when Hermione needed to let her emotions explode out while clinging to her best friend. Understanding this, Viktor flooed George and took the kids out for the day. Later that night, Hermione talked through what she was feeling and why while cuddling her spouse in bed. Before she fell asleep she reflected on all the positive relationships in her life which help lessen the hurt from the bad ones. 

Loss is inevitable. The healing process is long and never fully complete. Accepting this fact helps the friends get better. Platitudes from good meaning people sometimes hurt more than silence. When they come up, Hermione will just raise her eyebrow at George, making them both chuckle. Neither of them were perfect, and neither ever felt as whole as they did before the loss. They never really moved on, but they continued moving forward a day at a time.


End file.
